Jude Law Is Born To Be The Young Pope

The Young Pope is a sinfully fascinating mini-series starring Jude Law — clearly having a blast in a role-of-a-lifetime — as Lenny Belardo, the first American Pope. The dark comedy is compelling on many levels. At its core, it’s a study on power play not unlike House of Cards, except the struggle takes place not at Capitol Hill, but the Apostolic Palace. Others will be drawn to the scary similarities between the fictional pontiff and the current POTUS: they’re both idiosyncratic, brash, unapologetic outsiders bent on shaking up centuries-old traditions. There’s something for architectural nerds too: Because the Roman Catholic Church wasn’t involved in the shoot, the producers had to painstakingly recreate parts of the Vatican City — including the Sistine Chapel, the facades of St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Library — in Rome’s Cinecitta Studios. So stunning are the sets and cinematography that you’d feel shortchanged watching it on a small-screen device. (Photo: FX)